Science Tech Trends

::::::::

Seth Stevenson wrote a great piece re Science Tech Trends which I read in
the 2005 Reader's Digest. Yes, no misprint - 2005 was the year it was printed
and the year I am reading it is 2010. If I had read it then, it would probably
would not have made much sense to me because I am at least 5 years behind
the trends in virtually everything.

Fashions? I've been wearing the same winter coat since the 80's and ditto
many of my slacks and tops. I really don't need a fashion budget and that's
a good thing. That money goes to buy bread, peanut butter, vegetable oil and
bird seed for the pigeons, sparrows, and starlings who wait to be fed each
morning around 9. I won't need to buy peanut butter and vegetable oil to
coat the bread come spring. They will be warm enough then without it. My
friend asked me how much the 40 lb. bag of bird seed cost. I answered $13.
He just shook his head. No, he would not be the type to "throw" money away
like that.

Cars? I've only had one car since my first in 1972 which my sister and
brother-in-law picked out for me in October 1971. They knew that I wouldn't
be much of a driver and selected the Mercury Comet which I still drive. The
mileage - I believe around 33,000 miles. Yes, I one heck of a driver! Of
course, I just need my wheels to buy groceries for myself, my dog, my cats,
and the birds. Doctor visits? Not if I can help it!

So what about all these new techy gadgets? Thanx to this 2005 digest article
I finally learned what a BlackBerry is. Stevenson describes it as a so-called
personal digital assistant which allows the owner use the tiny keyboard to send
and receive e-mail and do research on the Web - all from the palm of ones's
hand.

Well, being retired, I don't need a personal digital assistant and, of course, can
do all those things on my personal computer. Nor do I need the hundreds of
digital cable channels which he says he and his girlfiend sift through on most
nights as they sit on the sofa. He also notes that each has close by a notebook
computer and cell phone within easy reach. And when they leave the couch,
there's a good chance they're plugged into their iPods.

Again I'm so blest- No BlackBerry, no Notebook Computer, no iPod and not even
a Cell Phone. If I had purchased all these things and paid monthly for their
usage, I probably wouldn't have any money for the few times I want to help Happy
Trails of Ohio take care of rescued farm animals or send some precious dollars to
the APL of Cleveland which is a no- kill shelter needing constant help to take care
of the way too many animals rescued at any given time.

Well as the good oldie song says - "To Each His Own." Where I'm not helping the
companies who make these tech gadgets, I am helping the grocery stores with my
food purchases. Oh yes, that includes buying food for my one dog and 6 cats. I hope
I'll never need anymore gadgetry - too expensive for me to buy and maintain. So,
far I haven't felt at all deprived and my money is going where I want it to.